Alabama

AUM study: Alabama Hispanic population increased 150 percent in the last decade

View full sizeA new study says Hispanics living in Alabama hail from more than 15 countries, but more than 66 percent come from Mexico. Here, demonstrators opposed to the Alabama immigration law attend a rally sponsored by the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery Feb. 14, 2012. (Natalie Wade, al.com)

MONTGOMERY,
Alabama -- The Alabama Hispanic population has had a nearly 150 percent
increase in the last decade, according to a report from Auburn University
at Montgomery's Center for Demographic Research.

Using Census
data from 2010, the report examined the demographic and socio-economic
characteristics and health conditions of the state's Hispanics in comparison to
non-Hispanics.

Although
there was a sharp increase in the Hispanic population, Hispanics only account
for 3.9 percent of the state's population. The report found Alabama's Hispanics
originate from from more than 15 countries, though 66.2 percent are of Mexican
origin.

The report
does not include information on population changes that may have occurred since
Alabama's immigration law, HB 56, was passed.

"The impact
of the HB 56 law will become more apparent 3 to 5 years from now," said Yanyi
Djamba, director of the Center for Demographic Research and author of the
report. "If fully implemented, Alabama's new immigration law will significantly
reduce the number of new foreign-born people coming to the state. However, all
these predictions can be changed if the state experiences a quicker economic
recovery."

Other
findings from the report include:

The majority
of people of Hispanic origin live in urban areas. In 2010, the top three places
of residence for Alabama's Hispanics were Huntsville, with 10,512; Montgomery,
with 7,998; and Birmingham, with 7,704.

Nearly half,
46.5 percent, of the state's Hispanics do not have a high school diploma,
compared to 15.7 percent for non-Hispanic whites and 22 percent for
non-Hispanic blacks.

In 2009,
when the recession hit the state's economy, Hispanics had a lower unemployment
rate, at 12.9 percent, than non-Hispanic blacks, at 17.2 percent, but higher
than non-Hispanic whites, at 9 percent.

In 2009,
38.3 percent of Hispanics did not have health insurance, compared to 11.4
percent of non-Hispanic whites and 18.7 percent of non-Hispanic blacks. The
study found the lack of health care impacted prenatal care, with nearly half of
live births among Hispanic mothers having late or no prenatal care.

The full
report, along with other resources that focus on matters of health, population,
HIV/AIDS and STDs, children's statistics and education, can be downloaded at www.demographics.aum.edu.